Eventing Information of the new BE 80-100 area festivals released

[shortstuff99]

For anyone who is aiming for these next year details can be found here https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/british-eventing-area-festivals-733327

And it seems you need 2x double clears from 2019-2021 to qualify

 

[Roxylola]

I'm not aiming as such, but I'll certainly go if I qualify

 

[LEC]

The timing of these makes no sense to me. Should be in September. I have a nice 5yo who would probably spend the season at 90/1m and it would now be a 2 year cycle to qualify for Badminton. Normally I get bored and move them up the levels instead so they never get really established but I have a nice grey horse to aim at Novice next season so could have for the first time saved the 5yo for this as very fancy mover and jumps. The novice series they have introduced also makes no sense. Its just a cheap 2* so i wont be aiming the grey horse for that as need the 2* qualifications so better off doing 2*. I havent ridden in tails doing 2* and would feel a fraud in a fake 2*.

There is so much thats a good idea with this (I think 2 x DC is too low personally and think they will be inundated for areas bit) about having a consistent qualification route for the champs, having something a bit different for regular joe and having them held in one day. But there are still massive holes. The biggest being that they are in May.

IHW will be sighing at my grumpy responses because they dont suit ME and everything should suit ME!!

 

[Xmasha]

That sounds great. Might be worth me keeping hold of Frank and aiming him at them. It makes being an owner of younger ones a bit more exciting if you've got a championship / festival to aim for. Reckon he could do a couple of 80s next year.

ETA - it does say qualification may be 2 x DC, but could also be top % placed. So no decision on that yet.

 

[ihatework]

IHW will be sighing at my grumpy responses because they dont suit ME and everything should suit ME!!

Well now you mention it ???????

 

[LEC]

Well now you mention it ???????

I laugh at myself about how grumpy I am about horse stuff. I am also super annoyed as see Treborough has disappeared. Now this will really make you laugh, there is so much about the event that annoyed me but I would still go because it was super friendly, no VAT and local.

I will look forward to buying some tails and doing a 1*S as at least Warwickshire is closer than Staffordshire.......and its real FEI not fake FEI like what is being held at Barbury.

 

[ihatework]

That’s okay LEC, you can do dumbed down FEI instead ????

(In-joke for anyone else reading and a bit ?)

 

[TheMule]

I really think they have the right general idea but have not implemented it in the right way. Having only 4 venues is simply bonkers- it means a lot of horses are going to have to travel long distances and it is totally inflexible for amateur riders. I wouldnt be able do the closest (still 3hours away!) venue to due to work, for example.
BD have 11 area festivals, that seems a far more sensible idea.
I also really don’t understand the point of having a 2 tier system at those venues- why would you want to be in the non-qualifier class? That won’t be a true 'area championship' as the best horses won’t be in that section.

 

[ihatework]

I think people need to give it a chance.

I genuinely think BE have tried to respond to what this group of the membership have asked for.

Putting on a championship style event, if they do it right, is going to be very expensive. Lots more venues just wouldn’t be financially viable. I think you will find most of the market for this will be prepared to travel and make a few days of it. 3h is perfectly reasonable IMO. If you want to do it enough you will make the effort and if you arent that bothered you won’t.

These events will likely turn out 2 tier. Those aiming for badminton and those not in with a chance and sticking to the festival thing. That’s fine IMO - there are loads with dodgy dressage or snail paced xc that are never going to be badminton contenders, but still have something fun to aim for.

The SW also has a route to Badminton via Bicton.

Im sure things will evolve, but at this point I think BE deserve some credit

 

[TheMule]

What about the bonkers timing? You would qualify nearly a whole year in advance of the champs if you did one of the qualifiers, quite possibly having gained your qualification for the areas almost a full year before that

 

[ihatework]

I think you will find they modify the qualification period eventually, 2020 has disrupted that.

The badminton champs gap is bizarre, but I wonder if it has something to do with staggering big admin time for BE throughout the year? That’s just a guess but that mid summer time is quieter before you ramp up again with big horse championship periods (senior teams, young horse champs etc)

 

[milliepops]

I think people need to give it a chance.

I genuinely think BE have tried to respond to what this group of the membership have asked for.

Putting on a championship style event, if they do it right, is going to be very expensive. Lots more venues just wouldn’t be financially viable. I think you will find most of the market for this will be prepared to travel and make a few days of it. 3h is perfectly reasonable IMO. If you want to do it enough you will make the effort and if you arent that bothered you won’t.

These events will likely turn out 2 tier. Those aiming for badminton and those not in with a chance and sticking to the festival thing. That’s fine IMO - there are loads with dodgy dressage or snail paced xc that are never going to be badminton contenders, but still have something fun to aim for.

The SW also has a route to Badminton via Bicton.

Im sure things will evolve, but at this point I think BE deserve some credit

no longer being an eventer I don't really care either way but i agree with these points.

tbh with BD putting on zillions of area festivals as they did when they first expanded the series, it took away the championship feel because they were just run at normal venues people went to all the time, and made them feel like fairly ordinary shows only with really long classes and a higher entry fee.

 

[Ample Prosecco]

I'm excited about these. Dolly has the 2 double clears already so can do them at 80T. Frickley is a fab venue and I'm sure the Championship course will be challenging and fun. She's in the 'dodgy dressage' category at the moment but we have time to sort that out, I hope.

 

[LEC]

I think you will find they modify the qualification period eventually, 2020 has disrupted that.

The badminton champs gap is bizarre, but I wonder if it has something to do with staggering big admin time for BE throughout the year? That’s just a guess but that mid summer time is quieter before you ramp up again with big horse championship periods (senior teams, young horse champs etc)

If anything the admin should be a lot easier because only 4 venues and all done in one go as such. RF were probably absolute headaches to adminstrate with 20% rule and if they then got cancelled.

I had loads of friends who would play the RF game and on a good jumping horse choose Bricky or Dauntsey vs a good dr horse who would go to West Wilts. I think consistency for qualifying is a good thing. It should also reward good jumping horses as the SJing heights will be upgraded.

 

[DunWithThis]

It sounds like a nice idea, definitely something to aim at that’s a little more realistic than badminton. But if there’s only one northern/Scotland and no alternative for dates that’s a bit of an issue for me and probably a lot of others

 

[Wishfilly]

I'm way off anything like this, so it doesn't really apply to me, but I have a few friends who event in Cornwall and Devon who are a bit disappointed there is nothing really accessible for competitors from the SW. The nearest venue to us would be Chillington Hall which looks like it would be over 4 hours away- and that is assuming no traffic obviously.

I do think it's a great idea, though and it is good BE are doing this. I agree you don't want too many venues to make it feel like a championship, but it would be nice to have something accessible to all!